Below is a series of video formats that I can offer, the videos can be recorded in the studio in london or on location.

OFF CAMERA INTERVIEW

Description: Essentially a talking head, only the answers are heard by the viewer (Green screen will require additional time)

Layout:

Format: Interviewer
sits on RHS of camera, opposite subject

Interviewer
should be as close to the camera as possible to keep a tight eyeline

Camera: You will only need 1
camera for this format but the format can be enhanced further with the
use of two or more cameras.

Framing: Interviewee should
be positioned using the camera/tripod so that camera is at the interviewee’s
eyelevel. The interviewee should be positioned in the LHS of the frame.
(See framing article for more information)

Example: Still-shot grabbed from
interview

Please note that all information below is
only a guide and should be adapted to suit individual circumstances.

Equipment:

1 x Camera

1 x Memory cards/tape

1 x Batteries

1 x Tripod

1 x Camera plate

1 x Handheld
Microphone

1 x XLR

1 x Lights
– Camera top light (for low light environments)

Interviewer
notes:

Never talk over your interviewee, wait for
a gap/quiet moment to interject

Try to retain good eye contact with the
interviewee throughout the interview, this will help keep their eyes off the
camera.

Agree with what they are saying but not
vocally, simply nod and use facial expressions to agree.

Before you begin…

Tell the interviewee to look at you and not
the camera, remind them to keep good eye contact with you and maybe suggest
they look to your offside if they do need/want to look away.

Ask the interviewer to summarise your
question at the beginning of their answer.

Example:

Q. What did you have for lunch today?

A. A Sandwich – Incorrect

A. For lunch today I had a sandwich -
Correct

This means that in the editing phase
of the production process, there is no need to hear the question asked
by the interviewer, you should therefore be able to use each individual answer
as a standalone statement. This is very useful in the editing phase.

Finally, once you have finished the
interview, if you weren’t happy with any of the answers feel free to ask the
interviewee if they wouldn’t mind answering them again, I would encourage you
to tell them the kind of answer you had in mind if you think it could help.

Interviewee
notes:

Try to relax and listen to the questions
being asked

Wait until you have heard the full question
before you begin your answer

Remember to summarise the interviewers
question at the beginning of your answer

Try to avoid looking directly at the camera
lens, instead try to retain good eye contact with the interviewer, if you need
to look away look to the interviewers offside.

Once you have finished your interview, feel
free to ask the interviewer to redo any answers you weren’t 100% happy with.

1 + 1 INTERVIEW (Studio)

Description: One host to
interview one guest in the studio (in person or via the telephone)

Layout:

Format: Interviewer
sits opposite Interviewee

Camera: This format works best
with 3 cameras but the same look can still be achieved using less cameras more
creatively

Cameras should
be positioned using the tripod. Each camera needs to be at level level with the
interview subjects.

Example:

Cam1:

Cam2:

Cam3:

Still-shot grabed from interview

Please note that all information below is
only a guide and should be adapted slightly to suit individual circumstances.

Equipment:

3 x Camera

Memory cards/tape

Batteries

3 x Tripod

Camera plate

2 x Lavaliere
Microphone

2 x XLR

4 x Lights

4 x Lightstands

4 x 4-way
extension reels

Notes:

This format is the most normal for the
interview subjects. It allows them to both have a very natural flowing
conversation. They are allowed to interject and have debate just as you would
in any normal conversation. Recording in this format also makes the footage
very versatile during the editing phase.

Interviewer
notes:

Conduct the interview without acknowledging
the cameras at all. Just start with your first question and continued until all
your questions have been answered. Once you get to the end of the interview
thank your guest and rather than turning away immediately, continue to look at
the quest for 5 seconds. This will help in the editing phase

I would suggest running the interview again
if you are not completely happy with it. Generally people will give more
concise answers on the second take.

Interviewee
notes:

Simply listen to the questions and answer
them how you see fit. If you need to retake any of the questions feel free to
do so after the first run through.

Avoid looking at the cameras, instead try
to keep good eye contact with the host. Project your voice slightly and try to
look enthusiastic.

1 + 1 INTERVIEW (Location)

Description: One host to interview one
guest on location

Layout:

Format: Interviewer
sits opposite Interviewee

Camera: This format works best
with 3 cameras but the same look can still be achieved using less cameras more
creatively

Framing: Cam1: Interviewer should
be the LHS of frame

Cam2:
Both Interviewer and Interviewee should be in shot

Cam3:
Interviewee should be the RHS of frame

(See framing
article for more information)

Cameras should
be positioned using the tripod. Each camera needs to be at level level with the
interview subjects.

Example: Cam1:

Cam2:

Cam3:

Still-shot grabed from interview

On-location: As this is an on location
shoot there are various things to be away of versus the studio environment.

Permission – Make sure that you have the relevant permission to film in your
chosen location

Noise – Make
sure that the location you are filming in has little or no background noise.

Lighting - Unlike the
studio you will not necessarily have control over the lights so bare this in
mind while selection your filming location. The best environment is somewhere
where you have complete control over the lights.

Disruption - It is much more
likely to encounter disruption when filming on location so bare this in mind
when selecting a filming location.

Please note that all information below is
only a guide and should be adapted slightly to suit individual circumstances.

Equipment:

3 x Camera

Memory cards/tape

Batteries

3 x Tripod

Camera plate

2 x Lavaliere
Microphone

2 x XLR

4 x Lights

4 x Lightstands

4 x 4-way
extension reels

Notes:

This format is the most normal for the
interview subjects. It allows them to both have a very natural flowing
conversation. They are allowed to interject and have debate just as you would
in any normal conversation. Recording in this format also makes the footage
very versatile during the editing phase.

Interviewer
notes:

Conduct the interview without acknowledging
the cameras at all. Just start with your first question and continued until all
your questions have been answered. Once you get to the end of the interview
thank your guest and rather than turning away immediately, continue to look at
the quest for 5 seconds. This will help in the editing phase

I would suggest running the interview again
if you are not completely happy with it. Generally people will give more
concise answers on the second take.

Interviewee
notes:

Simply listen to the questions and answer
them how you see fit. If you need to retake any of the questions feel free to
do so after the first run through.

Avoid looking at the cameras, instead try
to keep good eye contact with the host. Project your voice slightly and try to
look enthusiastic.

1 + 2 INTERVIEW (Studio)

Description: One host interviewing two
guests in the studio (in person or one guest can be interviewed via the
telephone)

Layout:

Format: Interviewer
sits opposite Interviewee’s

Camera: This format works best
with 3 cameras but the same look can still be achieved using less cameras more
creatively

Framing: Cam1: Interviewer should
be the LHS of frame

Cam2:
All interview participants should be in shot

Cam3:
Interviewee’s should either both be in shot or a CU on whichever interviewee is
speaking

(See framing
article for more information)

Cameras should
be positioned using the tripod. Each camera needs to be at eye-level with the
interview subjects.

Example:

Cam1:

Cam2:

Cam3:

Still-shot grabed from interview

Please note that all information below is
only a guide and should be adapted slightly to suit individual circumstances.

Equipment:

3 x Camera

Memory cards/tape

Batteries

3 x Tripod

Camera plate

2 x Lavaliere
Microphone

2 x XLR

4 x Lights

4 x Lightstands

4 x 4-way
extension reels

Notes:

This format is the most natural for the
interview subjects. Having two interviewees will help the dynamics of the
conversation and is likely to result in more of a debate than a traditional
questions and answers style interview.

It allows them to both have a very natural
flowing conversation. They are allowed to interject and have debate just as you
would in any normal conversation. Recording in this format also makes the
footage very versatile during the editing phase.

Interviewer
notes:

Conduct the interview without acknowledging
the cameras at all. Just start with your first question and continued until all
your questions have been answered. Once you get to the end of the interview
thank your guest and rather than turning away immediately, continue to look at
the quest for 5 seconds. This will help in the editing phase

I would suggest running the interview again
if you are not completely happy with it. Generally people will give more
concise answers on the second take.

Interviewee’s
notes:

Simply listen to the questions and answer
them how you see fit. If you need to retake any of the questions feel free to
do so after the first run through.

Avoid looking at the cameras, instead try
to keep good eye contact with the host. Project your voice slightly and try to
look enthusiastic.

*Even if you aren’t talking it’s important
to still engage with the conversation, use eye-contact to follow the
conversation rather than staring blankly into the space. As the format uses
three cameras it is possible that you will be on camera for a reaction shot
even if you aren’t talking.

1 + 2 INTERVIEW (Location)

Description: One host interviewing two
guests on location

Layout:

Format: Interviewer
sits opposite Interviewee’s

Camera: This format works best
with 3 cameras but the same look can still be achieved using less cameras more
creatively

Framing: Cam1: Interviewer should
be the LHS of frame

Cam2:
All interview participants should be in shot

Cam3:
Interviewee’s should either both be in shot or a CU on whichever interviewee is
speaking

(See framing
article for more information)

Cameras should
be positioned using the tripod. Each camera needs to be at eye-level with the
interview subjects.

Example:

Cam1:

Cam2:

Cam3:

Still-shot grabed from interview

On-location: As this is an on location
shoot there are various things to be away of versus the studio environment.

Permission – Make sure that you have the relevant permission to film in your
chosen location

Noise – Make
sure that the location you are filming in has little or no background noise.

Lighting - Unlike the
studio you will not necessarily have control over the lights so bare this in
mind while selection your filming location. The best environment is somewhere
where you have complete control over the lights.

Disruption - It is much more
likely to encounter disruption when filming on location so bare this in mind
when selecting a filming location.

Please note that all information below is
only a guide and should be adapted slightly to suit individual circumstances.

Equipment:

3 x Camera

Memory cards/tape

Batteries

3 x Tripod

Camera plate

2 x Lavaliere
Microphone

2 x XLR

4 x Lights

4 x Lightstands

4 x 4-way
extension reels

Notes:

This format is the most normal for the
interview subjects. It allows them to both have a very natural flowing
conversation. They are allowed to interject and have debate just as you would
in any normal conversation. Recording in this format also makes the footage
very versatile during the editing phase.

Interviewer
notes:

Conduct the interview without acknowledging
the cameras at all. Just start with your first question and continued until all
your questions have been answered. Once you get to the end of the interview
thank your guest and rather than turning away immediately, continue to look at
the quest for 5 seconds. This will help in the editing phase

I would suggest running the interview again
if you are not completely happy with it. Generally people will give more
concise answers on the second take.

Interviewee’s
notes:

Simply listen to the questions and answer
them how you see fit. If you need to retake any of the questions feel free to
do so after the first run through.

Avoid looking at the cameras, instead try
to keep good eye contact with the host. Project your voice slightly and try to
look enthusiastic.

MOCK 2 x CAMERA INTERVIEW:

Description: The aim here is to record footage that can be edited together to give the impression of a sync'd two camera interview but only using one camera.

Layout:

Format: Interviewer sits on RHS
of camera, opposite subject. This format is slightly more long winded to
produce and should only really be used if time permits.

Rather than your usual setup of just recording the
answers this format is designed to give the impression of a two camera
interview but only using one camera.

Therefore you need to record the interview in stages,
after each stge you should be completely happy with your footage before moving
on to the next stage.

Stage 1 – Setup as if you were recording and off
camera interview and record the whole interview with two mics but only focusing
the camera on the interviewee.

Stage 2 – Flip the set so that the camera is now
looking at the interviewer and record the intro, then each individual question.
It is recommended that the interviewee provides a short answer in bullet points
to each question rather than the full answer. This will help the interviewer
seem more natural when asking the questions.

Stage 3 – Using this format make the editing more
tricky so it’s always a good idea to record some “non-sync” cutaways to help in
the editing process.

If shot and edited correctly it should give the
impression that there were two cameras recording at the same time.

Camera: You will only need 1 camera
for this format but the format can be enhanced further with the use of two or
more cameras.

Framing: Interviewee and interviewee should
be positioned using the camera/tripod so that camera is at the interviewee’s
eyelevel. The interviewer should be positioned in the LHS of the frame (see
framing article for more information) and the interviewee should be positioned
on the RHS of the frame.

Example: Still-shot grabbed from interview

Please note that all information below is only a guide
and should be adapted to suit individual circumstances.

Equipment:

1 x Camera

1 x Memory cards/tape

1 x Batteries

1 x Tripod

1 x Camera plate

2 x Lavalier Microphone

2 x XLR

3 x Lights

Interviewer notes:

Never talk over your interviewee, wait for a gap/quiet
moment to interject

Try to retain good eye contact with the interviewee
throughout the interview, this will help keep their eyes off the camera.

Agree with what they are saying but not vocally,
simply nod and use facial expressions to agree.

Before you begin…

Tell the interviewee to look at you and not the
camera, remind them to keep good eye contact with you and maybe suggest they
look to your offside if they do need/want to look away.

As this is a “mock 2 x camera” setup then I would
advise you to stick firmly to your questions. If you ask an adhoc question then
forget to ask it again when filming the questions it will make the editing
process much more difficult and in some circumstances impossible.

Example:

Q. What did you have for lunch today?

A. A Sandwich – Incorrect

A. For lunch today I had a sandwich - Correct

This means that in the editing phase of the production
process, there is no need to hear the question asked by the interviewer, you
should therefore be able to use each individual answer as a standalone
statement. This is very useful in the editing phase.

Finally, once you have finished the interview, if you
weren’t happy with any of the answers feel free to ask the interviewee if they
wouldn’t mind answering them again, I would encourage you to tell them the kind
of answer you had in mind if you think it could help.

Interviewee notes:

Try to relax and listen to the questions being asked

Wait until you have heard the full question before you
begin your answer

Remember to summarise the interviewers question at the
beginning of your answer

Try to avoid looking directly at the camera lens,
instead try to retain good eye contact with the interviewer, if you need to
look away look to the interviewers offside.

Once
you have finished your interview, feel free to ask the interviewer to redo any
answers you weren’t 100% happy with.